Micro retailers selling Paan, Bidi, cigarette and other tobacco products here joined the nationwide protest called by the micro retailers selling tobacco products and held a rally here on Wednesday protesting the 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on tobacco products in the country.
The micro retailers under the banner of the Bhubaneswar Khilipaan Dokan Mahasangha, which represents two lakhs traders, retailers and Paanwallas, demanded an investigation into the motives behind the new rule and immediate withdrawal of the decision.
Mahasangha president B Srinivasu said, “These horrifying pictures will have huge negative impact on our psyche and can drive us to become mentally imbalance. We totally disagree and deny delivering such message”.
While the world’s top three tobacco consuming countries, the USA, China and Japan, where the annual cigarette consumption is 282, 2512, 193 billion sticks, respectively, have zero per cent pictorial warnings on tobacco products,
why is India insisting on 85 per cent warningsIJ, he questioned.
“There are 45.7 million people dependent on the tobacco industry in India, including farmers, labourers and workers. But no organisation or individual representing their interest was consulted or heard when the rules were framed in 2014. Such decision would affect their livelihoods,” lamented secretary Bidyadhar Mishra.
The Mahasangha appealed to the Prime Minister to take a moderate and balanced stand on the issue and give relief to the tobacco retailers by quashing the undemocratic rule and uphold the democratic principles of legislation making in his lok Sabha.